The first time I tried to book a haircut in French, I proudly told the hairdresser I was free mercredi /mɛʁ.kʁə.di/ — Wednesday. Except I actually meant mardi /maʁ.di/ — Tuesday. She nodded, I nodded, we both smiled… and I showed up a full day early like a very confused yak.
French jours de la semaine /ʒuʁ də la sə.mɛn/ — days of the week — look friendly on paper, but it’s easy to:
- Mix up mardi and mercredi
- Forget that French doesn’t capitalize days like English
- Panic when you hear du lundi au vendredi /dy lœ̃.di o vɑ̃.dʁə.di/ — from Monday to Friday
By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to:
- Say and understand all seven days with good pronunciation
- Talk about “on Monday,” “every Monday,” “next weekend,” and so on
- Use common expressions like à lundi /a lœ̃.di/ — see you Monday — without hesitation
Quick Primer: What You Need Before The Days
Let’s grab a few core words so everything else makes sense.
On first mentions:
- un jour /œ̃ ʒuʁ/ — a day
- la semaine /la sə.mɛn/ — the week
- le week-end /lə wi.kɛnd/ — the weekend
- un jour de semaine /œ̃ ʒuʁ də sə.mɛn/ — a weekday
Important basics:
- In French, the week usually starts on lundi /lœ̃.di/ — Monday.
- Days of the week are not capitalized in French (unless at the start of a sentence).
- All days of the week are masculine: le lundi /lə lœ̃.di/ — Monday, le mardi /lə maʁ.di/, etc.
So if you see Lundi in the middle of a sentence, that’s probably a graphic designer, not a French teacher.
Meet The Seven French Days (Without Mixing Up Mardi And Mercredi)
Here are the seven jours de la semaine with their usual order (starting Monday).
| French | IPA | English |
| lundi | lœ̃.di | Monday |
| mardi | maʁ.di | Tuesday |
| mercredi | mɛʁ.kʁə.di | Wednesday |
| jeudi | ʒø.di | Thursday |
| vendredi | vɑ̃.dʁə.di | Friday |
| samedi | sam.di | Saturday |
| dimanche | di.mɑ̃ʃ | Sunday |
Pronunciation tips:
- lundi /lœ̃.di/ — that œ̃ is nasal, a bit like “lun” in “lunch” but with your nose involved.
- mardi /maʁ.di/ vs mercredi /mɛʁ.kʁə.di/
- mardi: two syllables
- mercredi: three syllables; imagine “mer-kre-di”.
- mardi: two syllables
- jeudi /ʒø.di/ — think of “zhuh-dee.” The j is like the “s” in “vision.”
- samedi /sam.di/ often sounds like “sam-di,” the middle “e” is very light.
All masculine:
- le lundi /lə lœ̃.di/ — (on) Monday
- le dimanche /lə di.mɑ̃ʃ/ — (on) Sunday
How To Say “On Monday” And Talk About Your Week
In French, “on Monday” is usually just the bare day or with le /lə/ for habits.
On first mentions:
- lundi /lœ̃.di/ — Monday
- le lundi /lə lœ̃.di/ — on Mondays / every Monday
- ce lundi /sə lœ̃.di/ — this Monday
- lundi prochain /lœ̃.di pʁɔ.ʃɛ̃/ — next Monday
One Specific Day
Use the day by itself, or with ce /sə/:
- Lundi, j’ai un rendez-vous.
/lœ̃.di ʒe œ̃ ʁɑ̃.de.vu/
Monday, I have an appointment. - Ce jeudi, je travaille à la maison.
/sə ʒø.di ʒə tʁa.vaj a la mɛ.zɔ̃/
This Thursday, I’m working from home.
Habit: Every Monday, Every Friday
Use le + day for habits or regular events:
- Le lundi, je fais du sport.
/lə lœ̃.di ʒə fɛ dy spɔʁ/
On Mondays, I work out. - Le vendredi soir, on sort avec des amis.
/lə vɑ̃.dʁə.di swaʁ ɔ̃ sɔʁ a.vɛk dez‿a.mi/
On Friday evenings, we go out with friends.
You can also say:
- tous les lundis /tu le lœ̃.di/ — every Monday
- tous les dimanches /tu le di.mɑ̃ʃ/ — every Sunday
Talking About Next And Last Week
On first mentions:
- la semaine prochaine /la sə.mɛn pʁɔ.ʃɛn/ — next week
- la semaine dernière /la sə.mɛn dɛʁ.njɛʁ/ — last week
Examples:
- Lundi prochain, je commence un nouveau travail.
/lœ̃.di pʁɔ.ʃɛ̃ ʒə kɔ.mɑ̃s œ̃ nu.vo tʁa.vaj/
Next Monday, I start a new job. - Vendredi dernier, j’étais en retard.
/vɑ̃.dʁə.di dɛʁ.nje ʒe.tɛ ɑ̃ ʁə.taʁ/
Last Friday, I was late.
Common Expressions With Days Of The Week
Days of the week show up in a lot of everyday phrases.
Saying “See You Monday” And Friends
On first mentions:
- à lundi /a lœ̃.di/ — see you Monday
- à demain /a də.mɛ̃/ — see you tomorrow
- à mardi /a maʁ.di/ — see you Tuesday
Examples:
- Bon week-end, à lundi !
/bɔ̃ wi.kɛnd a lœ̃.di/
Have a good weekend, see you Monday! - On se voit mardi ?
/ɔ̃ sə vwa maʁ.di/
See you Tuesday? / Shall we meet Tuesday?
Describing Work Week And Weekend
On first mentions:
- du lundi au vendredi /dy lœ̃.di o vɑ̃.dʁə.di/ — from Monday to Friday
- le week-end /lə wi.kɛnd/ — the weekend
- en semaine /ɑ̃ sə.mɛn/ — on weekdays
Examples:
- Je travaille du lundi au vendredi.
/ʒə tʁa.vaj dy lœ̃.di o vɑ̃.dʁə.di/
I work from Monday to Friday. - En semaine, je me couche tôt, mais le samedi, je sors.
/ɑ̃ sə.mɛn ʒə mə kuʃ to mɛ lə sam.di ʒə sɔʁ/
On weekdays I go to bed early, but on Saturdays I go out. - Dimanche, je ne fais rien.
/di.mɑ̃ʃ ʒə nə fɛ ʁjɛ̃/
On Sundays I do nothing.
Making Plans
On first mentions:
- ce week-end /sə wi.kɛnd/ — this weekend
Examples:
- Tu fais quoi ce week-end ?
/ty fɛ kwa sə wi.kɛnd/
What are you doing this weekend? - Samedi après-midi, je vais au cinéma.
/sam.di a.pʁe.mi.di ʒə vɛ o si.ne.ma/
Saturday afternoon, I’m going to the cinema.
Usage Notes & Classic Mistakes (So You Don’t Sound “À Côté De La Plaque”)
1. Capitalization
- French: lundi, mardi, mercredi…
- English: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…
Days are lowercase in French, even in dates:
- lundi 3 mars — Monday, March 3rd
Only capitalize if it’s the first word of a sentence:
Lundi, je travaille.
2. “On Monday” → Not With A Preposition
English uses “on”:
“on Monday, on Tuesday, on Friday.”
French usually uses:
- Just the day: Lundi, je viens.
- Or le + day for habits: Le lundi, je viens.
Don’t say:
- ✗ sur lundi
- ✗ en lundi
Just lundi or le lundi.
3. Mixing Up Mardi And Mercredi
Classic learner confusion:
- mardi /maʁ.di/ — Tuesday
- mercredi /mɛʁ.kʁə.di/ — Wednesday
Trick:
Imagine a little song:
- lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi…
Say it out loud often. The rhythm helps lock the order in your brain.
4. Weekend Vs Week
On first mention:
- le week-end /lə wi.kɛnd/ — the weekend
- la fin de semaine /la fɛ̃ də sə.mɛn/ — the end of the week
In France, le week-end is standard.
You may hear fin de semaine in some regions and other francophone countries, but week-end is safe and common in France.
Region Notes: France, Québec, And Friends
- In France, people almost always say le week-end.
- In Québec, la fin de semaine is more common in everyday speech.
- The days themselves — lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi, dimanche — are shared across the francophone world.
One more difference: in many French-speaking places, calendars start with Monday as the first day of the week, not Sunday. Don’t be surprised if the leftmost column is lundi.
Mini Dialogues: Days Of The Week In Action
Each line: French, IPA, then natural English.
Dialogue 1: Making Plans
Tu es libre samedi ?
/ty e libʁ sam.di/
Are you free on Saturday?
Samedi, non, j’ai déjà quelque chose. Mais dimanche, ça marche.
/sam.di nɔ̃ ʒe de.ʒa kɛl.kə ʃoz mɛ di.mɑ̃ʃ sa maʁʃ/
Saturday, no, I already have something. But Sunday works.
Parfait, on se voit dimanche après-midi.
/paʁ.fɛ ɔ̃ sə vwa di.mɑ̃ʃ a.pʁe.mi.di/
Perfect, let’s meet Sunday afternoon.
À dimanche alors !
/a di.mɑ̃ʃ a.lɔʁ/
See you Sunday then!
Dialogue 2: Talking About Your Routine
Tu travailles tous les jours ?
/ty tʁa.vaj tu le ʒuʁ/
Do you work every day?
Non, je travaille du lundi au vendredi.
/nɔ̃ ʒə tʁa.vaj dy lœ̃.di o vɑ̃.dʁə.di/
No, I work from Monday to Friday.
Et le week-end ?
/e lə wi.kɛnd/
And on weekends?
Le samedi, je sors, et le dimanche, je dors.
/lə sam.di ʒə sɔʁ e lə di.mɑ̃ʃ ʒə dɔʁ/
On Saturdays I go out, and on Sundays I sleep.
Dialogue 3: Confusing The Days
On a rendez-vous mardi ou mercredi ?
/ɔ̃ a ʁɑ̃.de.vu maʁ.di u mɛʁ.kʁə.di/
Is our appointment Tuesday or Wednesday?
Mercredi matin, à onze heures.
/mɛʁ.kʁə.di ma.tɛ̃ a ɔ̃z‿œʁ/
Wednesday morning, at eleven.
Ouf, j’avais noté mardi…
/uf ʒa.vɛ nɔ.te maʁ.di/
Phew, I had written down Tuesday…
Garde la tête froide, c’est bien mercredi.
/ɡaʁd la tɛt fʁwad sɛ bjɛ̃ mɛʁ.kʁə.di/
Keep a cool head, it really is Wednesday.
Quick Reference: Days Of The Week & Useful Extras
| French | IPA | English |
| lundi | lœ̃.di | Monday |
| mardi | maʁ.di | Tuesday |
| mercredi | mɛʁ.kʁə.di | Wednesday |
| jeudi | ʒø.di | Thursday |
| vendredi | vɑ̃.dʁə.di | Friday |
| samedi | sam.di | Saturday |
| dimanche | di.mɑ̃ʃ | Sunday |
| la semaine | la sə.mɛn | the week |
| le week-end | lə wi.kɛnd | the weekend |
| en semaine | ɑ̃ sə.mɛn | on weekdays |
| du lundi au vendredi | dy lœ̃.di o vɑ̃.dʁə.di | from Monday to Friday |
| lundi prochain | lœ̃.di pʁɔ.ʃɛ̃ | next Monday |
| lundi dernier | lœ̃.di dɛʁ.nje | last Monday |
| tous les lundis | tu le lœ̃.di | every Monday |
| à lundi | a lœ̃.di | see you Monday |
| samedi soir | sam.di swaʁ | Saturday night |
| dimanche matin | di.mɑ̃ʃ ma.tɛ̃ | Sunday morning |
Five-Minute Practice Plan: One Week Of French In 300 Seconds
- Day Chain Out Loud (1 minute)
Say the days in order slowly, twice:
lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi, dimanche
Then backwards once:
dimanche, samedi, vendredi… - “On Monday / Every Monday” Drill (1 minute)
Alternate sentences:
Lundi, j’ai un cours de français.
Le lundi, j’ai un cours de français.
Think: one specific Monday vs every Monday. - Mini-Calendar Talk (1–2 minutes)
Describe your week in simple French:
Lundi, je travaille. Mardi, je vais à la gym. Mercredi soir, je regarde un film…
Keep it simple; focus on using each day at least once. - Listen-And-Point Game (1 minute)
Imagine a calendar in front of you. Say a random day in French, and point to where it would be. This helps lock Monday as the first day visually and mentally. - Real-Life Promise (30 seconds)
Decide on one real sentence you will use this week, for example:
On se voit samedi ?
or
Je travaille du lundi au vendredi.
Say it now out loud so it’s ready when you need it.
From Lundi To Dimanche: A Week Closer To Real French
Mastering lundi through dimanche won’t make you fluent overnight, but it unlocks something very real: the ability to talk about your actual life — your routine, your weekends, your plans with real humans and not just textbook characters.
Use these days to schedule coffee, complain about Mondays, celebrate Fridays, and defend your sacred dimanche. The more you let your week exist in French, the more your French will feel like part of your real week — not just homework for some distant future yak.